James evetts



(No Model.)

J. EVETTS. DISINPBGTING APPARATUS.

N0. 604,562. Patented May 24, 1898.

Nrrn fairies PATENT Ormea.,

JAMES EVETTS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RED CROSS IIYGIENICCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DiSINFECTlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,562, dated May 24,1898.

Application filed April Z4, 1897. Serial No. 633,668. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JAMES EVETTS, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain newl and useful Improvement inDisinfectin g Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a disinfect-ing apparatus, and has for itsobject to provide an improved form of apparatus in whichV a constant andunvarying flow of the liquid disinfectant to the point of application ismaintained.

In disinfecting apparatus at present in use an objection has been thatthe liquid flows out very rapidly at first and as the level of theliquid becomes lower in the chamber the iiow becomes less and less, sothat if a wick is employed which will absorb the required quantity ofliquid disinfectant in a given time, when the chamber is, say,one-quarter full, when the chamber is reiilledthe liquid will flowm uchfaster and considerable waste will thereby ensue. The disinfectingapparatus of my invention is designed to overcome this difficulty, andmay be generally described as consisting of a main chamber or reservoirfor the liquid disinfectant and an auxiliary chamber communicating withand preferably within said main reservoir in which the liquid is keptdown to a certain xed level by atmospheric pressure, whether the mainreservoir be full or nearly empty. The wick leading from said auxiliarychamber is thus supplied with liquid at a uniform rate from the timewhen the reservoir is filled until it is empty.

I will describe myinvention more in detail by reference totheaccompanying drawings, in whichy Figure l is a sectional elevation ofthe disinfecting apparatus of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top viewthereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of portions of the device.

Similar reference-let-ters are used to designate similar partsthroughout the lseveral fgures.

The chamber or reservoir a is provided with an extension a', which isadapted to protect the evaporating medium l), of absorbent material,which is supported by a trough a2, formed by the upturned end of theextension a. A tube c is secured, preferably by soldering, to the top ofthe chamber a, through which i-t passes and extends down within thechamber to within, say, half an inch of the bottom, thus constitu tingan auxiliary or supplemental chamber within the reservoir a. The upperend of the tube is threaded to engage the threads upon the cap d, whichnormally closes the opening in the upper end of the tube. I-Ioles c eare provided in the top of the chamber a, which are closed by the washerf when the cap is screwed down. A small tube g is joined at g to thetube c and leads downward, ending at the bottom as of the chamber a.,just above the body of absorbent material b. A wick h extends from thetop of the absorbent material up through this tube to its junction withthe auxiliary chamber c, from whence it falls through said auxiliarychamber to the bottom of the reservoir a.

When it is desired to iill the reservoir, the cap CZ is unscrewed,whereupon the liquid disinfectant may be poured into the tube c and willrise within the chamber or reservoir d, egress for the air within saidreservoir being provided by the holes e e. The cap d is now replaced,washer f closing holes e e, leaving the chamber air-tight.

The wick 7i draws the liquid down through the tube g to the evaporatingmedium l), through which it percolates, and from whence it isdisseminated in Vapor for the disinfection of the apartment, the excessliquid being collected by the trough d2 and carried off by thedrip-spout z, which is preferably situated at a point at or nearlydiametrically opposite to the point at which the absorbent materialreceives its supply of disinfectant from the wick h. The drip-spout maycommunicate with the water-closet, urinal, or similar place requiringdisinfection.

Liquid will be drawn from chamber c by the wick h; but none will enterthe chamber c from the main reservoir CL until the liquid in chamber cis nearly all drawn out, for there is no opening in reservoir a at whichthe air may enter. Air may enter chamber c,

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however, through the tube r which is not tightly filled by the wick.

It will be seen that after the liquid in chamber c has been exhausted alittle is admitted from reservoir a, but cannot rise more than a Veryshort distance in the tube or chamber c on account of the atmosphericpressure therein. A constant height of liquid in chamber cis thusmaintained, thereby keeping the iiow of liquid through the wickconstant.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a normally-sealedreservoir adapted to contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamberlocated within and communicating with said reservoir, a wick-tubeleading from below the reservoir andinto the upper portion of thechamber and extraneous thereof, a wick arranged in such tube and leadingto the lower end of the chamber, the said chamber being closed at itsupper end but open at its lower end below the levelof liquid in thereservoir whereby air passes through the tube and into the auxiliarychamber only as the liquid is withdrawn by the wick so that the liquidtherein remains at a practically constant level which is near the bottomof the chamber and of the reservoir regardless of the level of theliquid in the reservoir, thereby assuring a uniform feed by the wick.

2. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination with a reservoir adaptedto contain liquid disinfectant, of an auxiliary chamber to which accessof air is permitted, and located within the reservoir, an avenue ofcommunication between said reservoir and said auxiliary chamber, a wickadapted to withdraw the liquid from said auxiliary chamber to the pointof application, said reservoir having holes for the admission of air tosaid reservoir, and means for normally maintaining said holes sealedagainst the passage of air, whereby the atmospheric pressure causes theliquid in said auxiliary chamber to remain at a practically constantlevel, regardless of the height of the liquid within the reservoir,substantially as described.

3. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination with the reservoir d, ofan auxiliary chamber c, within said reservoir and in communicationtherewith at the bottom, access of air being permitted to said auxiliarychamber c, a wick h adapted to withdraw liquid from said chamber c tothe point of application, said reservoir having holes c e for theadmission of air, and a cap d normally sealing said holes against thepassage of air, substantially as described.

4t. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination with the reservoir a,of the chamber c communicating therewith and with the external air, wick7i, said reservoir having holes e e for the admission of air, cap dnormally covering the chamber c, and a washer f carried upon said capand normally sealing said holes c e, substantially as described.

5. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a normally-closedreservoir adapted to contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliarychamberlocated within the reservoir and communicating substantially atthe bottom with the reservoir, and a wick extending from below thereservoir and into the auxiliary chamber for withdrawing thedisinfectant,substan tially as described.

6. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a normally-closedreservoir adapted to contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamberlocated within the reservoir and to which air has access and whoselowerend communicates with the reservoir near the bottom thereof, and a wickextending into the auxiliary chamber to its lower end and leading from apoint extraneous of such chamber for withdrawing the disinfectant fromthe reservoir, substantially as described.

7. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a normally-closedreservoir adapted to contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamberopen only at its lower end and depending into the liquid, a Wick-tubeleading outside the chamber from its upper portion and a Wick extendingfrom the lower end of the chamber upward through the chamber and thencethrough the wick-tube.

8. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a reservoir adaptedto contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber located therein andcommunicating substantially at its lower end with the reservoir, a tubeleading from near the top of the chamber downward and a wick in thechamber and tube for withdrawing the disinfectant from the reservoir.

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9. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a reservoir adaptedto contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber depending thereinand having communication through its lower end, an exposing-surfacelocated adjacent to the reservoir, a tube extending from near the top ofthe auxiliary chamber and passing downwardly through the reservoir tothe exposing-surface and a wick in the auxiliary chamber and tube forconducting the disinfectant.

10. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a reservoir tocontain liquid disinfectant,an auxiliary chamber communicating therewithsubstantially at its lower end and awick leading from the lower end ofthe chamber upward therethrough and thence downward extraneous of thechamber and below the bottom of the reservoir.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 21st day of April,A. D. 1896.

JAMES EVETTS.

Vitnesses:

Max BEHRENDT, SAMUEL E. I-IIBBEN.

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